A Wisconsin judge has rejected a proposed order to permanently seal evidence in the alleged altercation case against the Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs. That ruling allows the NFL to finally get its hands on the footage it requires to investigate violations of the league’s personal conduct policy.
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“My understanding is the NFL has officially requested the video of the incident that right now has been going through the courts,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport said on NFL GameDay. “They filed a Freedom of Information Act request. It’s not something that happens within a couple of days. It’s more likely to be within a couple of weeks.”
The league is running its own independent investigation under its personal conduct policy and has formally requested the surveillance footage from local police. If the NFL reviews the garage surveillance footage and determines he violated the policy, suspension will likely befall him.
“He is on the commissioner’s exempt list now,” Rapoport added. “That is expected to count as time served. So if they get to the point where it’s five games, six games, maybe eight games, that might be when you’re looking at potential return for Josh Jacobs.”
The incident dates back to May 23, 2026, involving an altercation at Josh Jacobs’ Wisconsin home. On that day, an argument between Jacobs and his ex-girlfriend escalated physically in his garage.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the Brown County District Attorney’s Office, Jacobs allegedly threw the woman to the ground, causing her to strike her head, and subsequently damaged her phone.
Later, home surveillance footage from Jacobs’ garage reportedly corroborated the victim’s account of the event. While the Packers RB was initially arrested on multiple severe domestic abuse allegations (including felony strangulation), prosecutors ultimately charged him with two misdemeanor counts: battery and criminal damage to property.
On September 10, Josh Jacobs resolved the criminal case by reaching a plea deal. He pleaded no contest to both misdemeanors. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Marc Hammer found him guilty of battery and sentenced him to a $1,000 fine.
Jacobs entered into a 12-month deferred judgment agreement. If he fulfills all court mandates over the next year, this charge will be completely dismissed. According to the court mandates, Jacobs must commit no further crimes, avoid all contact with the victim, pay restitution, submit to local supervision, and complete a battery intervention counseling program during that period.
Following Jacobs’ plea, a temporary order kept the case records – including the garage surveillance video – sealed from public view. The victim’s attorneys filed a motion to permanently seal the evidence to protect her privacy. However, media outlets and the NFL actively challenged this to gain access to the footage.
On September 24, Brown County Circuit Court Judge Marc Hammer denied the request to permanently seal the records. The judge ruled that Wisconsin’s open records laws favor public access. The decision handed authority over to the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department to evaluate individual public records requests.
As for his NFL career, the seventh-year running back was placed on the NFL Commissioner’s Exempt List on August 30, forcing him to miss the start of the regular season. While on the list, he is paid but barred from practicing or playing with the team.